8 Former K-Pop idols we never wanted to say goodbye to

by Shelly M on Tue, Jan 10, 2017

00

K-Pop is always evolving. Every year, we are bombarded with incredibly talented groups and solo artists hoping to make an impact in the industry. While all of these new idols are refreshing to see, they will never replace those special idols that got us into K-Pop—the ones that lifted our spirits and encouraged us time and time again. We have been through so much with our idol biases, and I have found eight musical stars we never want to say goodbye to.

I was going to focus on Minzy here, but we were all shocked when the beloved 2NE1 called it quits in November. We waited for years for the girls to make their US debut! Right after CL broke into the American mainstream market, our hearts broke for the K-Pop soul sisters. BlackJacks are truly feeling this "Lonely" track from them.

Marriage and a passion for acting were two of the main reasons these two ladies decided to part ways with the girl group in 2013. (Sunye officially withdrew from the group in 2014.) Sunye decided to marry, have children and go on a mission trip, while the Heart to Heart actress decided to expand her career as a model and actress.The girls made some great life choices, but Wonderfuls are probably still not over their departure. We are all anxiously awaiting to see what the future holds for current members Yeeun, Yubin, Sunmi and Hyerim as their contract expires this month.

4. Alexander Eusebio

Xander is the life of the party! So, it was a shame when he and his U-KISS boys parted ways in 2011. He and Ki Bum left the group at the same time, but it was the Moorim School star that embarked on an acting and solo singing career. Unfortunately, the last time he released music that wasn't on an OST was in December of 2011. Thank goodness, you can still hear him co-host every Friday on Arirang Radio's K-Poppin segment To Be Honest.

The former EXO member wasn't content with SM Entertainment in 2014, so he decided to return to his homeland and continue his career in entertainment there. He may have parted ways with SMTOWN under difficult circumstances, but he didn't let it slow his acting and singing career down. Since then, Wu has branched out in China and the USA! His Hollywood action filmXXX: Return of Xander Cage hits theaters on January 20. In the meantime, you can watch him in the romantic Chinese movie So Young 2: Never Gone here on DramaFever.

Check him out during his EXO days here:

6. Hwan Hee

Following his Fly to the Sky days with Brian Joo, Hwan Hee embarked on a solo music career. One of his stand out songs was "While Doing" in 2010. That addictive track was everyone's jam a few years ago, but we haven't heard much from him since. Besides a few OST appearances, his fans are missing his incredible stage presence.

7. KARA

Even though the girls promise to collaborate in the future, the 9-year dream with DSP Media ended last January. The KARA: Secret Love stars future separation was evident when Nicole and Jiyoung didn't renew their contracts in 2014. The remaining members, excluding rookie Youngji, decided it was time to leave the agency last year too. We will always remember the good old days.

8. 4Minute

HyunA was a member of the Wonder Girls early on in her career, but she found solidarity with her 4Minute girls at Cube Entertainment. Unfortunately, this group also faced untimely separation last year following contract renewal negotiations that were not satisfactory to many of the members. So it seems our 4Minute days are behind us, K-Pop fans.

Are there any K-Pop stars from the past you want to see make a comeback?